Nobber Library’s Children’s Book Festival is over for another year. According to Imelda, the branch librarian there, it was the best festival so far! All author visits were totally different from each other. “In a world where children have the best of everything I was really impressed with their attention, interaction and courtesy to all the authors. More of the same next year, please”.

Imelda said that “all events were entertaining for the children and us so-called adults. No two ‘author sessions’ were alike whatsoever”.

First session was with author David Donohue – “the children loved his totally different approach with words and he engaged them throughout the visit”.

Second session was with author and illustrator Oisin McGann or was it Annie Graves??– “the children were enthralled by his visit and I loved his encouragement for children to keep reading”. Imelda reported a number of new visitors to the library that evening. It’s great to see the author visit translating into new library members and a renewed interest in reading for pleasure.

Next came Paula Leyden – “her life experiences were fascinating for the children. They asked loads of questions and were very interested”. Paula’s first book, The Butterfly Heart won the Eilis Dillon award for a First Children’s Book at the CBI Book Awards

Debbie Thomas’ creative writing workshop lasted one and half hours. “I thought it would be difficult to engage the children for this length of time, but they were totally engrossed with her. When she entertained a table of boys for that period it speaks for itself”. “Many of the class expressed an interest in reading her book “Dead Hairy” after the workshop.

“I’m sure the children from Nobber will be writing books in the future”.

The Children’s Book Festival kicks off next month across the library network with 89 events to cater for all interests and age groups. – We’re looking forward to the penalty shoot-outs with soccer fanatic Tom Palmer, and Tarzan will be swinging from the rafters in Solstice promoting the revamped series by Andy Briggs.